Call For Support From Indigenous Resistance Communities of Big Mountain, Black Mesa, AZ

Immediate Call For Support From Indigenous Resistance Communities of Big Mountain, Black Mesa, AZ in their struggle for Life, Land and Dignity. January 18, 2010

Although there’s been a recent victory against the reopening of the Black Mesa Complex, the Kayenta mine is still operating and elders on the front lines fighting the continued impacts of coal mining and forced relocation efforts are still requesting support.

We are writing with a request for direct on-land support on behalf of families of traditional resistance communities of Black Mesa, AZ.. One of the Big Mountain elder matriarchs, Blanche Wilson, the mother of Mae Tso, who hosted the 2008 caravan, passed away yesterday. Please hold her and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Mae and Samuel, two of Blanche’s children, and elders themselves, are living alone at their homesite. They are in much need of support–they will need to take four days away from basic necessities and work for the traditional funeral. Additionally Mae injured her back on Christmas day and has been in pain for the last three weeks and at a limited work capacity; Samuel has been working double what he normally does. There are supporters there now until Wednesday the 20th. The funeral will be after that so, as mentioned, they really need the help at this time.

Action Alert: Petition to Stop the Swap at Wolf Creek

From the paper-wrenching ninjas at Colorado Wild:

Stop the swap- oppose the legislative land exchange.

CLICK HERE to sign a petition to oppose the Legislative Land Trade!

 

Wolf Creek Pass needs your help to remain the beautiful area that you and millions of others know and love. Out-of-state developers continue to pursue plans for a "Village" at Wolf Creek, a city of 8,000-10,000 people at the top of the Pass. This intense development plan in an otherwise undeveloped area entirely surrounded by National Forest would dramatically impact the entire region. Impacts of the proposed development threaten local businesses in nearby Archuleta and Rio Grande Counties, unspoiled backcountry recreation opportunities along the Continental Divide, water supply and water quality for downstream communities, rare and ecologically valuable fen wetlands, and one of the most critical wildlife corridors in the Southern Rocky Mountains.

Developer Red McCombs has spent more than 20 years attempting to circumvent legitimate public review of his proposed "Village." McCombs remains unwilling to trust his project to any traditional process of public analysis, disclosure, and decision-making, and has therefore hired a new team of lobbyists to attempt to circumvent this review process through a legislative land exchange to gain not only access, but also additional developable property.

While the idea that the FS would trade McCombs undevelopable wetlands for developable land with highway access is unthinkable, Friends of Wolf Creek is far more concerned about the process McCombs is pursuing to try to receive approval for the exchange. Rather than go though the traditional Forest Service land exchange review process - in which the public would have a chance to weigh in and the Forest Service EIS would disclose the impacts (pro and con) of the exchange before making a decision - McCombs and his new band of lobbyists is asking Congressman John Salazar to perform this land exchange legislatively. 

Jeff Luers is FREE!

(Wed, 12/16/09)

Dear Friends,

This morning in Portland, Oregon, Jeff walked out of prison a free man. We have a press release of information available here.

But there’s really not much else to say because we are too busy celebrating! Join us in the celebration! You helped make this possible, you helped Jeff make it through the most difficult time in his life. And now, he can start a new life and finally see the sunrise and sunset, hold hands, and hike in the forest, among everything else we take for granted.

Thank you so very much for your support. We will be sending out more info about Jeff, but we wanted to share this with you asap.

Thanks again, endlessly,

Friends of Jeff Free Luers
 
PRESS RELEASE:

Civil Liberties Defense Center
Lauren Regan, Attorney & Executive Director
259 East 5th Avenue, Suite 300-A
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 687-9180 Tel
(541) 686-2137 Fax
Email: lregan@cldc.org

Media Advisory—for immediate release December 16, 2009

Eco-prisoner Jeff “Free” Luers released from prison

PORTLAND – Dec 16, 2009 – Jeff “Free” Luers, political prisoner and environmental activist, was released from the Columbia River Correctional Institution this morning after serving nine and half years. Luers was originally sentenced in 2001 to twenty two years and eight months for the politically motivated arson of three SUV’s at a car dealership in Eugene, OR. This sentence was deemed grossly disproportionate to the damage sustained by the car dealership and was condemned by legal professionals, human rights groups and activists worldwide. At an appeal hearing in 2007 it was ruled that Luers’ original sentence was illegal, and was consequently reduced to ten years.

Denver anarchist held without bail in Copenhagen: Call for Solidarity!

From our comrades at Denver Anarchist Black Cross:

Today we learned that an anarchist comrade and dear friend of ours has been arrested on two charges at the ongoing Cop15 actions in Copenhagen, Denmark and will be held without possibility of bail for at least three weeks. Solidarity in the form of letters of support (free to send), as well as legal donations, is urgently needed.

Noah "Rockslide" of Denver, Colorado moved to Copenhagen several months ago and has been active in the organizing of resistance to the Cop 15 Summit. He has been arrested and charged with two counts (one is the Danish equivalent of a felony, the other a misdemeanor): Violence Towards Police and Disturbing the Public Peace. He is being held on remand at a jail outside Copenhagen awaiting a preliminary hearing on Jan 4th 2009, when he will be able make a petition for his release. It is possible that this preliminary hearing could be his trial, though this is unexpected because they normally take longer to prepare and the courts will be on holiday because of Christmas.

Fight Development at Wolf Creek!

It's been a while...

WilderPress, as a print publication, as a project on hold. With an editorial collective totaling two, we embarked upon a project we were perhaps not prepared for in experience, time, and resources. For this, we apologize, and we hereby vow to take the project back up when we are able. We thank everyone for their contributions and assistance. If you are interested in helping this project get back off the ground, please contact us.

We post today to alert you of new developments in the struggle to protect Wolf Creek from development.

The Durango chapter of High Country Earth First! (Colorado) is calling upon ecodefenders to contact officials and rally at the December 8th and 10th meetings in Pagosa Springs to oppose the Village at Wolf Creek and the legislative land exchange.

More information: http://colorado.indymedia.org/node/2334

12/8 Rally at Archuleta County Court House: Oppose Legislative Land Exchange at Wolf Creek!
12/10 Rally at Pagosa Springs Town Hall: Oppose Legislative Land Exchange at Wolf Creek!

earthfirstdurango@riseup.net

The Earth First! Journal Needs Your Support!

Dear Friends,

Greetings from the Sonoran Desert and the desks of the Earth First! Journal!!! After spending a week in southern Oregon for this summers’ Round River Rendezvous, the Earth First! Journal Collective has been hard at work on the next issue of the Journal.

With many thanks to a generous donation from our poetry editor, we were able to mail out the Lughnasadh July/August 2009 edition of the Earth First! Journal. We hope all of our subscribers have received their copy of the EF! Journal and encourage folks to e-mail us if there is ever a problem with your subscription.

Next week we will mail out our annual summer donation letter and want to thank everyone for making a contribution of any size to help with finances. The financial state of the Journal does not effect the quality of the publication but it certainly makes it difficult to mail it out, as well as keep the bills paid! Luckily…

There are many ways to support the Earth First! Journal

The following is a list of possibilities, please e-mail us if you have questions, need materials or want to inform us that you, in fact, put on a benefit show and are going to mail us a donation to help your favorite publication from the direct action environmental movement!!!

1. Become a subscriber to the Earth First! Journal

Subscribing to the EF! Journal is the best way you can support the publication! You can also ask your local library, infoshop, collective house, university library or club if they would consider a subscription to the EF! Journal. E-mail us if you would like to receive a complimentary copy of the EF! Journal as an incentive to begin subscribing!

2. Host a benefit show in your hometown!

Benefit shows come in all shapes and sizes, from live music events to bake sales.

The Earth First! Journal recently asked the band, The Devil Makes Three, if they would play a benefit show to help raise funds for legal support with the anti-I-69 campaign—and they did! Over $700 was raised in one night! A big thanks to Lucia, Pete & Cooper of The Devil Makes Three for your support!

The Earth First! Roadshow also did a kick-ass job of raising tons of money for the Journal, as well as spreading the word about our 30-year histroy of campaigns, and educating folks about the need for good security culture—through in-depth presentations to more than 70 audiences across the country! Thank you Roadshow crew for all your support!

Other benefit show ideas include: hosting a film screening or short film fest, hosting a vegan social with food and games, chili-making contest, set up a community variety show or organize a pledge-drive bike ride.

3. Table at an event with Earth First! merchandise

We can start you off with copies of the EF! Journal and send you a merchandise catalog to order items at bulk rates. All our merchandise is viewable at our “store” on this website.

4. Buy Earth First! merchandise

There is a growing variety of trinkets and literature available from the on-line store. Every order over $40 will receive a free copy of the EF! Journal 20th Year Anniversary edition—an awesome compilation of the history of Earth First! and the campaigns that define our no compromise movement. Includes more than 45 amazing articles from founding members of Earth First!, as well as Rod Cornoado, Karen Pickett, Paul Watson and many more.

5. Become a distributor of the Earth First! Journal

If you regularly table at events, help run a bookstore or info shop that sells other periodicals and movement merchandise or are going on tour with your band and would like to help spread the work of the Earth First! movement—you could become a small distributor for the EF! Journal! You can also ask your local independently-owned bookstore or food co-op if they would like to subscribe or distribute the EF! Journal. E-mail nettle(at)earthfirstjournal.org for more information and to receive a catalog of all our merchandise

6. Join the Earth First! Journal Collective

Short-term editors are needed to be an essential part of our collective in Tucson, Arizona. Short-term editors spend a couple months in production on a single issue of the EF! Journal. If you have a strong interest in the content that appears in the pages of the EF! Journal, can handle spending most of your time working in front of a computer and would enjoy working in a small collective, please send an e-mail to: wildginger(at)earthfirstjournal.org to find out more information.

7. Buy ad space in the Earth First! Journal

We are currently looking for advertisers who do not go against our ethics. With a limited selection of businesses and organizations to ask if they would like to advertise in the EF! Journal it is somewhat difficult to find them. If you are interested in advertising with the Earth First! Journal, please e-mail us at: ads(at)earthfirstjournal.org for more information and receive our ad rates.

With that said, all donations are greatly appreciated! You can donate to us through our website, give us a call to place a debit or credit donation at: 520-620-6900 or send checks and money orders to:

Earth First! Journal
PO Box 3023
Tucson, AZ 85702

Thank you for your support!

For the Wild,

-the Earth First Journal collective

Call for Direct Action Camp at 'Feral Futures' Gathering in Colorado

‘Feral Futures’ is a free, informal, and loosely structured anarcho-primitivist/anti-civ gathering taking place in Southwest Colorado from the New Moon at the end of May (around the 24th) to the Full Moon at the beginning of June (around the 6th or 7th). Dates are approximate. Folks are free to come and go as they please. The site is at a sacred hot springs along a wild river in National Forest bordered by Wilderness Area.

We would like to provide space at ‘Feral Futures,’ closer to the parking, for a direct action camp encompassing things that are not necessarily within the traditional framework of “primitivism” and/or “rewilding,” but can nonetheless be utilized in an anti-civ praxis, if folks are interested in facilitating such workshops. We are also hoping the Earth First! Road Show will be stopping by!

Right now we are seeking folks who would like to facilitate workshops and skills shares either deeper in the woods at the anarcho-primitivist part of the gathering or closer to the parking in the action camp part of the gathering. We are seeking folks who can facilitate trainings in rewilding, survival, and earth skills, as well as folks who can facilitate direct action trainings, civil disobedience workshops, know your rights trainings, anti-oppression trainings, etc.

If you are interested, and for site directions, contact feralfutures@riseup.net

www.myspace.com/feralfutures